Improvement in burglar-alarms



21AM. SWALLOW. BURGLAR-ALARMS.

No. 193,623. Patented July 31,1877

zni/wz/nf M Jz M N4 PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAP ATENT OFFICE.

FREEMAN M. SWALLOW, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURGLAR-ALARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193,623, dated July 31, 1877 application filed October 16, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREEMAN M. SWAL- LOW, of Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burglar-Alarms and Window-Fastening (latch; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to a detonating burglar-alarm, combined with. a window-fastenin g catch, the object being to provide a windowfastening catch and device combined therewith for giving an alarm, should the fastening be detached and the window be raised from the outside.

To this end my invention consists of a plate provided with a casein which is pivoted a hammer, operated by a spring to explode a cartridge placed in a barrel attached to said case, the hammer being held back by an elastic trip inserted in a slit or opening made in the case, with a chain or cord attached to said trip, by which the latter is withdrawn from the slit to permit the hammer to fly forward to'ex'plode the shell, as will be more fully hereinafter described.

The figure is a perspective view of my invention as applied to a window.

In the drawing, 0 represents the lower rail of the upper sash of a window, having the ordinary fastening-plate B secured thereto, provided with the usual pivoted fasteninglatch a; and D represents the top rail of the lower sash of the window, to which.I attach the plate A, having the hollow case E made thereon, within which is pivoted the hammer 2', having one end of a coiled spring, m, attached thereto, the other end being attached to the case itself, and an opening, s, is made in the periphery of the case to allow the hammer to move in its are. Upon the top of the case is made a short barrel, F, in which to insert a small cartridge, with its flange abutting against its rear end; and a small horizontal slit, h, is'made in the case, preferably in its periphery, and for a shortdistance in each side, so that the elastic trip f-made of any thin elastic metal, as a short piece of watch-spring-may be inserted from either side. The inner end of this trip f, when inserted through the slit, may bear upon the upper edge of the hammer i when the latter is drawn back below the slit h, or upon a projection, n, made in the side of the hammer for that purpose, as shown clearly in the figure.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The plate A, which has a projection, 0, made thereon to serve in the place of the ordinary catch, is attached to the lower sash in front of the plate B on the upper sash, and a small cartridge shell, charged with powder only, is inserted in the barrel F, the hammer i drawn back, and the elastic trip f inserted through the slit h, and its inner end bearing upon the hammer or upon the projection n on its side, the chain 1) being attached at one end to a book, a, in the upper sash, and at the other end to the trip f.

If the lower sash be raised, or the upper one pulled down, the tripf, which will easily bend in either direction, will be pulled out of the slit h, which Will release the hammer i, and the shell will he exploded with sufficient noise to give an alarm.

The side of the case E should be closed with a cover, 1, which may be secured in place by the screw 2', serving also as the pivot for the hammer.

At such times as it is desired not to use the alarm, the latch a is brought around with its projection e in front of the projection 0 upon the plate A, and the device used as an ordinary sash-fastening, the alarm being set for night purposes, and for such other times as is desired to guard against burglars.

The plate A may also be attached, by small ring-screws inserted through the screw-holes, to a door-frame, and the chain 11 secured to the door, so that, when set, as shown in the figure, when the door is opened the shell will be exploded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- A combined burglar -.alarm and windowfastening catch, consisting of the combination of the plate A, the case E made thereon, and

provided with the slit or opening h, the hammer pivoted in said case, the spring m, the elastic trip f, and cord or chain 1), all substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

FREEMAN M. SWALLOW.

Witnesses:

T. A. CURTIS, G. H. BLANDEN- 

